Rick Jodzio
Richard Joseph Jodzio (born June 3, 1954 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Rockies and the Cleveland Barons; he also played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Vancouver Blazers and the Calgary Cowboys.
| Rick Jodzio | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 3, 1954 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Cleveland Barons (NHL) Colorado Rockies (NHL) Calgary Cowboys (WHA) Vancouver Blazers (WHA) | ||
| NHL Draft |
153rd overall, 1974 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 1974–1980 | ||
In his NHL career, Jodzio appeared in 70 games. He scored two goals and added eight assists while collecting 71 minutes in penalties. He played in 137 WHA games, scoring 15 goals and adding 16 assists with 357 minutes in penalties.
Jodzio was a trained boxer. On April 11, 1976, in one of the hockey's most infamous moments, Jodzio attacked Quebec Nordiques star Marc Tardif with his hockey stick during a playoff game in Quebec City. Jodzio's crosscheck into the boards knocked Tardif unconscious and he repeatedly hit him as he lay helpless on the ice.[1] Jodzio was suspended for the rest of the playoffs and charged with assault by Quebec police.[2] After pleading guilty, Jodzio was fined $3000.
Since the incident Tardif forgave Jodzio.
Jodzio is currently the owner of Frontline Freight, a less than truckload carrier based out of City of Industry, California.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1972–73 | Downsview Beavers | OPJAHL | 21 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Downsview Beavers | OPJAHL | 30 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 166 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Hamilton Red Wings | OHA | 30 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Charlotte Checkers | SHL | 37 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 109 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1974–75 | Vancouver Blazers | WHA | 44 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 159 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 24 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Calgary Cowboys | WHA | 47 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 137 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 1976–77 | Tidewater Sharks | SHL | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Calgary Cowboys | WHA | 46 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Erie Blades | NAHL | 15 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 21 | ||
| 1977–78 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 32 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 38 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 62 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 79 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 113 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 43 | ||
| WHA totals | 137 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 357 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||||
| NHL totals | 70 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
- "WEEK OF DISGRACE ON THE ICE". Vault. Sports Illustrated. 26 April 1976. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- "5 Suspended in W.H.A. Brawl". The New York Times. 15 April 1976. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- "Meet The Team | Frontline Freight". frontlinefreightinc.com. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Polnaszek, Frank (1979). Larry Wigge (ed.). 1979-80 Hockey register. The Sporting News. ISBN 0-89204-051-3.
- "The Most Underrated Player of the '70s & the Violent Act He Can Never Forget. The Marc Tardif story" from Youtube
1-Allo Police page 6, 4 July 1976.